Hats & Posters: A Tale of Love
by Postman Link's Booty Shorts
Summary: Link loves posters, Sheik loves hats. Shink. Modern AU.
1. Missing Keys

**Disclaimer:** Not mine; don't kill me.

A chilly wind whipped around Link's lithe form as he walked towards his apartment, thoughts focused solely on getting inside as fast as he could. He reached one hand into his pocket as he approached its door, absentmindedly probing for his keys while shivering.

A snicker from behind broke the silence, however, and Link whirled around to see his next-door neighbour, Sheik, smirking at him.

"Forget your keys, Link?" he asked.

"Just quit the games, Sheik, and tell me where you hid them," Link snapped. Then his voice softened. "Sorry."

"Oooh, _touchy_, are we?" Sheik smirked sarcastically.

Link glared at Sheik, his blue eyes burning daggers into the other man's red orbs. He sighed.

"Look, Link, if you want your keys, you could try looking in your other pocket," Sheik murmured. "I was wondering, though, can I come in for awhile? Auntie has..._guests_...over and well..." He trailed off.

"How did you know?" Link asked.

"W-what?" stammered Sheik.

"That my keys are in my other pocket?" he prodded.

"I've known you for two months," Sheik laughed. "You always put them there when you leave, and you always forget when coming home."

"Oh, I do not," Link rolled his eyes, unlocking the door and chuckling. "Come in, if you must."

Sheik followed Link in, looking around at the various pictures hanging from his walls. The boy always seemed to have something new, particularly in the poster department. His red eyes stopped on one that read "Hero Parking Only. Any solicitors will be fed to the cuccos," and snickered to himself.

"Which one are you looking at?" Link asked, following his friend's line of vision to the poster in question. "Oh."

Sheik grinned, shrugging. "I like it. Where'd you find it?"

"Oh, you know," Link smirked. "On my travels."

Sheik nodded. He'd never understood his friend's love of printed (and sometimes very raunchy) posters, but then again, Link didn't understand Sheik's own love of hats.

"I also bought this," Link said, holding out a colourful hat to Sheik. "You can have it, if you like."

Sheik's eyes went wide. "Wow," he murmured. "A rasta hat. I don't have one of those!"

Link grinned widely. "I know. Do you like it?"

"Mhmm," Sheik answered, rushing over to the mirror and trying it on. "Well? How's it look?"

Link's breath caught in his throat, and he had to cough a few times before he answered. "It suits you."


	2. It's not a dateis it?

Disclaimer: Not mine; don't kill me.

Last time...

"I also bought this," Link said, holding out a colourful hat to Sheik. "You can have it, if you like."

Sheik's eyes went wide. "Wow," he murmured. "A rasta hat. I don't have one of those!"

Link grinned widely. "I know. Do you like it?"

"Mhmm," Sheik answered, rushing over to the mirror and trying it on. "Well? How's it look?"

Link's breath caught in his throat, and he had to cough a few times before he answered. "It suits you."

Sheik chuckled softly. "Thanks, I think."

Link smiled. "Don't mention it."

The moment was cut short, however, by a loud grumble from Sheik's tummy. He turned towards Link, his red eyes half-lidded from obvious embarrassment, mumbling apologies.

"Hey, it's all right," Link laughed. "You wanna stay for dinner? I'll order takeout."

"Yeah, okay," Sheik agreed. "Got any beers?"

Link rolled his eyes, smirking. "You know where they are, go on."

Sheik rummaged around in Link's fridge, quickly locating the promised beers and grabbing two. He could hear Link in the living room as he placed their order, and smiled to himself, his thoughts full of big, impossibly blue eyes and wide grins. He'd had a massive crush on Link almost as long as they'd been neighbours.

His aunt often entertained, and her parties were very uptight, rigidly proper affairs that would put Sheik to sleep. When he and his aunt had moved from Kakariko, he began spending a lot of time over at Link's apartment and friendship quickly turned to unrequited love. Or so he thought, for what he failed to realise was that Link harboured similar feelings towards the red-eyed man.

"Hey Sheik?" Link called, and the man in question jumped, dropping the cans of beer he'd been holding to the floor with a dull clunk.

"WHAT?!" Sheik said, panting heavily. "Oh...you frightened me. I was lost in my thoughts and...well..." He trailed off, trying hard to catch his breath and still his poor, wildly-beating heart. Link chuckled softly, placing one soothing, sun-browned hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I understand," Link smiled ruefully. "It happens to the best of us. Anyway, I hope pizza is okay with you."

"Yeah, pizza sounds great," Sheik agreed. "Sorry about those beers, by the way. I doubt we can drink them now."

Link burst out laughing. "Silly. I do have others, you know. We can just put the fallen ones back in the fridge."

"Oh...uh...right," Sheik blushed, as he and Link reached for one of the fallen cans.

As their hands touched, Sheik felt a ripple of electricity flow through his blood, and he cleared his throat awkwardly as he pulled his hand away. Suddenly, a loud knock at the door startled them from their thoughts, and Link ran for the door like a crazed...well...in years to come, Sheik would never be able to describe it.

"Hey Sheik," Link called. "Can you grab two plates?"

"Yeah, okay," he called back, going to the cabinet to grab them.

Link appeared in the doorway then, the pizza box in his arms, and Sheik's tummy made yet another noise of complaint. He chuckled, setting the box on the counter, and grabbed two beers.

"Help yourself," he smiled, leaning against the counter. "Wanna watch a movie or something?"

"Sure," Sheik agreed. "What's on?"

Link shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find something."

Sheik blushed again, idly wondering if Link had planned this little rendezvous...but that couldn't be true, could it? Link was straight!


	3. The Truth Revealed

**Disclaimer:** Not mine; don't kill me.

_Last time..._

_Link appeared in the doorway then, the pizza box in his arms, and Sheik's tummy made yet another noise of complaint. He chuckled, setting the box on the counter, and grabbed two beers. _

_"Help yourself," he smiled, leaning against the counter. "Wanna watch a movie or something?"_

_"Sure," Sheik agreed. "What's on?"_

_Link shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find something."_

_Sheik blushed again, idly wondering if Link had planned this little rendezvous...but that couldn't be true, could it? Link was straight! _

"Hey, Sheik!" Link yelled. "You gonna stand there all day? Get your pizza and come sit down!"

Sheik sighed, chuckling to himself. Sometimes Link could really be annoying when he wanted something. Or _someone_, he thought wryly, hurriedly grabbing his pizza and collapsing on the couch with a soft fwump.

Unfortunately for the poor lovesick boy, gravity did not seem to be on his side, and he spilled yet another can of beer. Turning to the blue-eyed beauty beside him, he opened and closed his mouth a few times, like a fish out of water.

"I...I'm sorry, Link," he sighed. "I think gravity hates me or something."

Link smiled softly, briefly causing the other to wonder if those pouty lips were as soft as they looked, and patted his hand soothingly.

"It's okay, Sheik," he replied comfortingly. "It can be cleaned up, and there are more in the fridge."

"But...I...oh, you must think I'm an idiot," Sheik moaned.

"Not at all, I promise," Link answered.

Sheik fell silent then, and bit into his pizza with a moan of satisfaction and delight. As he ate, the red-eyed man snuck a look of longing at his friend, who was now idly flipping through the channels searching for something, anything to watch.

Link sighed, accepting defeat at not being able to find anything, and turned to the other man. "Sheik...look...I need to tell you something."

But before he could begin, Sheik smiled knowingly. "You asked my aunt to bore me out of her house...right?"

"Well, that's part of it," Link laughed nervously. "I've liked you ever since we met and well..." He trailed off, blushing.

"I like you, too, Link," Sheik whispered, trailing his fingers along Link's cheek softly.

Link melted into the simple, yet burning, touch of his love's fingers. "Sheik..."

The man in question smiled softly. "Yes, my lovely Link?"

"Can I kiss you?" Link swallowed, nervous.

"Do you need to ask?" Sheik rolled his eyes.

That was all the encouragement the blue-eyed man needed, for suddenly, Sheik found himself being very soundly kissed. It was a simple kiss, pure and questioning, but flames of passion lurked on its edges.

Link pulled away, looking at Sheik with love-filled eyes. "I should be happy there was nothing on."

Sheik snorted. "If this is what happens every time, then yes, we are very lucky indeed."


End file.
